QRTRHRS
Elite Member
Had a long day today, made the decision to have our oldest horse put down. She would have been 32 next Valentine's Day. She had been getting pretty rough the last few years having worn her teeth down to where she could not eat hay to well. I had been giving her nearly six quarts of wet down grain a day to keep her going. The gut was fine, it was her joints that were the issue. She had "crashed" (fell and could not get up due to her position) about a month ago. She had gotten herself pretty beat up trying to get up until I found her. With some help, we got her up, gave her some pain meds for a few days and she pulled through but we had our doubts about her making it through the winter.
I found her down again this am. With some help, I got her up but barely. Her back end was pretty bad. Having already made her grain mash up, I fed her. She ate then went to go to the pasture (she could still eat what little grass is left) but stopped and just stood in front of the barn. That's when I made my decision to call the vet and line up a backhoe. I was afraid that she would crash during the night and freeze to death. We had moved this summer but still have the horses a half an hour away until I can finish the setup at the new place perhaps later in January.
The vet gave her a thorough checkout but I made the decision. After it was done, he did agree that it was the right choice.
For those not around farm animals, it is different with livestock then for dogs at least for me. Often as not, the animals brain is quite vibrant, it is the body that is shot. In the case of an old horse, they usually willingly trust and if they can still walk, follow you as in this case where I led her away from the barn and house to where we would be burying her. You say your goodbyes silently then get to the unpleasent task and just do what needs to be done.
When it is all over, you think about the times that you have had over the years. (We had her since 2000) Four of the six horses we still have are mares so now that the "boss" is gone and she still was the boss, a new pecking order will take place. Their moods were somber also. They ate quietly tonight and kind of just stayed low key. Over the next few days, a new "boss" will emerge.
And that's life with horses, thanks for listening.
I found her down again this am. With some help, I got her up but barely. Her back end was pretty bad. Having already made her grain mash up, I fed her. She ate then went to go to the pasture (she could still eat what little grass is left) but stopped and just stood in front of the barn. That's when I made my decision to call the vet and line up a backhoe. I was afraid that she would crash during the night and freeze to death. We had moved this summer but still have the horses a half an hour away until I can finish the setup at the new place perhaps later in January.
The vet gave her a thorough checkout but I made the decision. After it was done, he did agree that it was the right choice.
For those not around farm animals, it is different with livestock then for dogs at least for me. Often as not, the animals brain is quite vibrant, it is the body that is shot. In the case of an old horse, they usually willingly trust and if they can still walk, follow you as in this case where I led her away from the barn and house to where we would be burying her. You say your goodbyes silently then get to the unpleasent task and just do what needs to be done.
When it is all over, you think about the times that you have had over the years. (We had her since 2000) Four of the six horses we still have are mares so now that the "boss" is gone and she still was the boss, a new pecking order will take place. Their moods were somber also. They ate quietly tonight and kind of just stayed low key. Over the next few days, a new "boss" will emerge.
And that's life with horses, thanks for listening.
